Hokage's Choice
by AGENT Kuma-chan
Summary: The game is no longer just a game. Her very life is at stake and it's hard to know who to trust when everyone wants you dead. Harder yet is to figure out how much longer is left till it's game over, for good. Hints of SasuSaku, KibaSaku, LeeSaku, NaruSaku
1. Omens

I always have the worst of luck. Sure, there are lots of people worse of than me, but at the moment, I don't think they can complain. Why? Well…to answer that, it's best to start at the beginning.

It all had to happen on March the 14th.

A Monday.

My _birthday_.

* * *

_**Hokage's Choice **_

_Chapter One—I should have stayed home today_

I managed to catch the three o'clock bus immediately after school. Since it was one of those automated buses, I had to tell _it_ where I was getting off. The bus was practically empty, so I just sat down in the front. Pulling a slip of paper out of my pocket, I unfolded it before looking at it.

It is a gift certificate to one of the new, popular gaming centers made by the Prestige Uchiha Corporation. New because it started only two years ago and popular because it has one of the best gaming programs ever. Their games are realistic. That doesn't just mean that their graphics are good. Not only can you see everything, you can feel, hear, smell, even _taste_ everything in the game. In short, you are _in_ the _game's _world.

I've been to these games a few times before and I'm sort of glad that my dad got me a gift certificate to go again. Seems that this year he is actually trying to be a good dad, buying me a birthday gift and all.

Of course, it would help if he didn't have his secretary call me and ask me what I wanted for my gift. And then have her deliver it to me along with a blank card.

At least he tried this time, unlike before.

You see, my birthday has a history of bad events. What sort events? The first one I can remember was back when I was four. My parents were together back then, but on my birthday, my father finally snapped. He yelled at her and then stormed out of the house. Lovely birthday present, no?

Then, on my fifth birthday, after my father suddenly is spotted again, we find out that he has some high-position job. And a new wife and new little girl. That wasn't too bad except that he had us go to the doctor and checked to make sure he is actually my father. I was only five and I suddenly realized how much he wanted us out of his life.

I would love to continue with all of these sad events that occurred during my birthday, but I should go back to the bus ride. It was the first omen that something bad was going to occur.

* * *

After about twenty minutes, the bus finally arrived at the gaming center. The large building that has a nice green lawn and some flowers growing in front of it. Except I can't see any of them.

There was a mob in front of the center. A huge crowd of parents, all of them holding up signs, signs that read 'DOWN WITH FANTASY!' and 'PROTECT OUR CHILDREN!' The reason that they are here is because they are a part of the CPCF. That stands for Citizen's Protecting Children from Fantasy. Apparently fantasy corrupts our mind and it should be banned. Right now they are waving their signs and marching up and down the lawn. They are also glaring. Like they are daring someone to even attempt to get past them.

And that's what I'm going to do.

* * *

As the bus pulled up to the bus stop, its voice called out my name. "Haruno Sakura. You have requested to get off at the bus stop in front of Uchiha Gaming Center."

"Yes," I reply.

"Haruno Sakura, you are a minor, under the age of 18."

"Yes," I reply, twitching slightly. _Let me off already, you hunk of scrap metal._

"Sorry, but as you are a minor, you are not allowed off the bus at a stop where there is a danger that you might get injured."

I look outside, where the mothers and fathers a marching around. Well, actually two of them are marching and the rest are sitting tiredly on the ground, eating donuts and drinking coffee.

"It's ok. They won't hurt me, as they are trying to 'protect me'." _What are they going to do to me? Pelt their donuts at me? Scream at me to leave?_

"Sorry, but I am not allowed to do that. You may get off at another stop, but not at this one."

I bite back the words I feel like screaming at it and instead say, "Let me off at the next stop." _I'll just walk back. _

"Not if you are going to walk back to this center," the bus replies.

I glower at it. Smart bus. Looking at the map of stops, I quickly tell it, "No. I'm just going to see the….Museum of Natural History that's across from the stop."

"Ok then. I'll let you off at the next stop, Haruno Sakura. Estimated time of arrival in five minutes."

Apparently the bus is not smart enough. If it were human, then it would have known I wouldn't have changed my mind that fast.

Then again, if it was human, it wouldn't have cared.

* * *

Five minutes later, I scrambled off the bus, while it cheerfully (can a bus be cheerful?) says, "Goodbye, Haruno Sakura. Thank you for taking the bus."

"Goodbye," I reply, before mumbling, "_Your mother was a garbage can." _

Then I briskly walked off to the gaming center. After walking for a few minutes, I arrived and suddenly grabbed the attention of all of the parents sitting on the grass. They look at me, look at their signs, and then look at their food. Then, they quickly get up, holding their coffee in one hand and their signs in the other. "DON'T ENTER THIS EVIL BUILDING!!" a man yells at me, shaking his donuts threateningly in one hand.

They weren't seriously going to throw the food at me, right? At least, that's what I hoped as I ignored him and walked on up the path, to the building.

"That is the DEVIL'S home, where innocent minds are CORRUPTED!! Don't help it! It shall destroy you in the end!" some of the other parents yell, moving to block me.

Luckily, I manage to squeeze past them and get to the door. There is a guard there, and he quickly opens the door to let me, which is better service than they've ever let me have in the past.

* * *

In the reception center, there are two teenage boys sitting on a coach, looking bored. They're throwing a baseball around, and one of them looks up when I come in before looking down. The receptionist seems busy on the phone while I walk up to her desk and makes a motion to tell me to wait.

I let out a hiss of pain as I felt something bite my fingers. Sucking on the finger, I look at the thing that bit it. It's one of those new creatures they've been building, a dragon. It looks (and, as I've just found out, feels) real and is about the size of a kitten. He is tied to a chain which is tied to her paperweight, struggling to get free. Baring his teeth at me, the dragon tries to attack me again but is cut short by his chain.

"Ha," I smirk at him. "Serves you right."

However, the paper weight moves a little. Even if he is not alive and is only the size of a kitten, I still move away a little. This catches the attention of the receptionist and she finally gets off the phone.

"Don't worry, he's harmless," she reassures me. That would have helped except that the dragon started to breathe fire.

Ignoring the dragon, the lady takes my gift card. "Would you like to play in a group or alone?" she asks me. I, in turn, look at the teenagers sitting. Even if they are guys, cute guys, they look like their seventeen. And I'm only fourteen. I doubt they'll find it fun to play with their 'little sister'.

"I'll play alone," I reply, "Can I look at the games?" While I have played before, I haven't played at this center before (I played in New York and London). As I scroll through the catalogue, I cross out some of the games. "Witches' Brew" seems too childish to me, even though it's made for my age. Same with "Dungeons and Dice". However, "Heir Apparent" seems interesting enough, and I'm about to choose that one when another game pops up on the screen.

In fancy letters, the words, "Hokage's Choice" is written. Curious, I clicked it and the preview loaded on the screen.

"_Welcome to Hokage's Choice," _a voice suddenly says. _"The Third Hokage suddenly dies,"_ a picture of an old man is shown _"and his dying words declared you his heir"_ A picture of a young boy is shown _"Will you manage to last the three days it takes be appointed the next Hokage"_ A mountain is shown _"Make allies with the right people, or else suffer the consequences. It's all up to you."_ Suddenly scenes flooded the screen. Giant animals appeared out of nowhere, people disappeared in clouds of smoke, there were two people fighting, blurs of colors, and picture of a village.

Then, the screen faded to black. And I made up my mind on what game I was going to play. After all, this game involved planning, action, and seemed fun.

However, the main reason I chose this wasn't actually that. In fact, the biggest reason I chose this game was because in the preview there were some characters. Some young, handsome (really hot) male characters. Not really that good a reason, I will admit. But what if the reason was really shallow? Why chose a game just because you didn't like any of the characters? And besides, if nothing else, there would be something to look forward to in the game.

Catching the receptionist's attention, I asked her, "Can girls play 'Hokage's Choice'?'

Checking her computer screen, she replied, "Yes, there can be female heirs too."

However, while I can play it and it seemed really fun (plus…the guys…), there was still one thing I had to ask. "Is there only one way to win the game?" Because if there was only one way, this game would be frustrating and I know I won't win.

Thinking the question over, she answered. "No, this game is sort of like bean soup."

"_Bean soup_?" I asked, staring at her.

"Yes, bean soup. It is not like a peanut butter sandwich. In a peanut butter sandwich, you only put on the peanut butter and that's it. But with bean soup, there is a choice. You can put kidney beans, chick peas, or some other type of bean. You can add in carrots or whatever it is you want to add. You can boil it or stir it slowly. There are many different ways to make it." She the nodded to herself, as if confirming what she said was indeed true.

The receptionist must be some sort of weirdo, telling me the game is like soup. And I really didn't understand that comparison. However, I think the gist of it was that I had many different ways to get to the goal. "I'll play this game then," I replied to her before following her to one of the gaming rooms.

After I lay down on one of the beds, she started tell me, "While you only paid for half an hour, the game will feel like days have gone by. As well, every time you die, you will start over from the beginning, unless you've used up all off your time, after all. And if you are playing still when your time runs out, you continue to play until you die. Ready?"

I nodded before I closed my eyes as she hooked me up to the game. Then I submerged into the virtual reality. It's time to see how good this game is.

* * *

**A/N: **This story is based off 'Heir Apparent'. –insert disclaimer here- I read the novel recently, and just felt like writing this. However, it will not be following the novel completely (as, in that story, the setting is in medieval times. And I want to make some changes.)

Anyways, I felt like posting this before I go to the hospital on Tuesday. And as I have to celebrate my parents' anniversary, go to some party, and go to school in between now and then, I might as well post it today. Enjoy!

(Next update will be soon.

…at least, my definition of soon.)


	2. Flower Power

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**Hokage's Choice Chapter 2**

_Chapter Two—Look who the Cat dragged out_

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Prestige Uchiha Corporation must have someone who is in charge of smells.

Not necessarily bad smells, but strong smells.

Makes you—or at least, me—wonder, what sort of a person has a job where they go home and are asked, "How did work go?", they reply "Oh, the usual. Took a couple weeks of allowance from some random kid, who wanted an enjoyable fantasy game, and plunked them into the middle of a mound of strong, dying flowers."

Flowers are nice. At least, most flowers are good to smell, just sweet enough and fragment. I should know; I have a friend who works at a flower-shop. Anyways, why am I talking about flowers so much? Well….

I woke up thinking that I was in the middle of a meadow. Or surrounded by mountains of flowers. However, there was no sun shining or birds chirping, so I doubted it was a meadow. I could also hear a voice, in the distance, calling out, but for now I ignored it. I had more urgent problems.

I opened my eyes, and was blinded. Not literally, but I might as well have been. Everywhere I looked, there was pink. Not a nice, light shade of pink, no, I got instead a bright, neon pink. There were pink walls, pink curtains, pink clothes, pink pillows, pink tables, pink _everything_.

Did I mention I hate the color pink? I've hated it ever since I was little and only got pink dresses and pink crayons and pink things. And now I have to _face_ pink everywhere.

At least, if I left the room, there would no longer be any pink left.

At least, I thought so. And then I noticed something that made me nearly scream.

Looking in a mirror (that had a pink frame, with pink flowers, and nearly made me break it the second I saw it) I saw myself. I didn't look too bad, with pale skin and green eyes. In fact, I sort of liked how I looked. Except for the fact I had pink hair.

That made me go and attempt to break the mirror. However, I noticed then that the flowery smell was still in the room. The flowery smell that was overpowering, like someone just took hundreds of perfumes and poured them on. The smell was _too much!_

And there were no flowers around. Or any plant for that matter.

I realized then that _I_ was the one who gave off that smell.

My clothes, which were silky, were also pink. Looking in the drawers and closet, I found pink high heels, pink running shoes, pink ribbons, pink hair ties, pink t-shirts, pink jeans, pink pants, and pink sweaters. The people who work at Prestige Uchiha Corporation really must have no idea what girls like. And a weird sense of fashion.

_Why do I put myself through this?_ I asked myself as I put on a t-shirt and jeans. When my dad, who rarely calls except during Christmas and my birthdays (and only for ten minutes max at that) called –through his secretary—for what gift certificate I wanted for my birthday, I could have asked for a shopping spree of stores. I could have asked for a gift-card at some store. But no, I had to ask for Prestige Uchiha Corporation, and then oppose who ever was trying to help me by going through the CPCF into the building.

On the other hand, as soon I stopped sending mental hate messages to Prestige Uchiha Corporation, the game's programming kicked in. My mind got filled with details of another life, of the character's life. It is sort of like holding tracing paper up to the light, one is my life and other is the character's life. When they are held on top of each other, everything is a jumble, a confusing puzzle, but once you concentrate on one drawing—or life, as is the case—then suddenly it makes sense and you are able to ignore the pieces that don't fit.

So I ignored the parts that are Haruno Sakura, a tenth grader in high school. I ignored Prestige Uchiha Corporation and its fancy, overpriced computer that allows you to hear, taste, feel, and—yes, thank you very much—smell an adventure in quarter-hour segments that seem to last for days.

Instead, I paid attention to the parts that are Haruno Sakura (same name…I wonder if that's a part of the game?), a 16 year-old ninja-in-training. I let myself immerse myself in my new identity, finding out information that I would have known if I had lived here my entire life.

A lot of that information had to do with flowers, make-up, and healing.

If a person where to come up to me, I could make them a bouquet, heal any injuries, cure them of many diseases, fix their hair, give them a make-over, and change their image. Not all at once to the same person, of course.

"Sakura-chan!" a voice called out to me. "Sakura-chan, come outside!"

A small, black cat slinked out of my closet and rubbed against my feet. Did animals in this world talk? No, my new memory told me—well, at least majority animals didn't. And this definitely wasn't true for my cat. My cat was merely Midnight, affectionately called Sasu-chan because of…some crush my character has on someone. A person who they haven't even seen in person but have heard of…and bought photos of…

…this 'Sakura' seems like she needs help. And a brain.

"Sasu-chan," I murmured, rubbing behind his ears. (The name is sort of cute…like the cat…)

"Sakura-chan!" The voice that I recognized as my 'mother' called out for me.

_Hah!_ Before I could stop it, my subconscious laughed at that idea. My _mother _calling _me_.

"_Stop it!" _I told myself. _"Did you spend money on this game just to criticize everything?_"

Still, it was a little hard to think of my mother calling me. In real life, my mother lives in Tokyo, because that is where her boss wants her. She visits me and my grandmother, who I live with, one weekend every school month. As well, I visit her for two weeks in the summer, because that is all she can stand of me in her _cozy-for-one_ apartment. Oh well, she still is better than my father. I don't think I've seen him since…well, I don't think we've actually talked or seen each other in years.

I buried down this side of me and tried to fit into my character more, in this Sakura's life. She has a mother, Tohru, and a father, Yuki, who was a farmer, as well as three brothers and four sisters. All of them love each other, just like a big happy family.

Walking out of the room, I said good-bye to Sasu-chan, before heading downstairs and out of the house. Opening the front door, I saw a skinny/scrawny man with glasses standing beside my mother, along with a horse. As well, all of my siblings were outside, along with our rabbits, chickens, and other animals that we found. Our father can't say no to any stray.

As I approached the man, he scrunched up his nose and grimaced. I didn't smell that bad, did I? Looking at my mother, I said "Hello, Mom. Hello, sir." I had to be polite.

Mom, who looked really sad at that moment, sniffled a little, while the man scoffed at her. "Is this the girl?"

She nodded to him, before turning to me. "I'll tell her." Then she grabbed my shoulders and began to speak, "Honey, what I'm about to tell you doesn't change anything. You see…Well…You are—"

The man looked at my mother, moving away from the animals around him, and said, "Get on with it, woman."

"Hey! Don't talk to her like that!" Even if she is just a computer-generated figment of my imagination, he can't talk to her like that. I probably would have defended my real mother from him as well. "She's my mother!"

"That's the point. She isn't."

Quick as I was, I replied, "Eh?"

"This woman who you call your 'mother' is not related to you at all. In fact, your 'father' isn't related to you either. They are just your foster parents."

"Oh," I said. Well, that made sense. The game said that I was heir to the 'kingdom' of Konoha, so I couldn't be someone ordinary. Of course they had to be foster parents or something. But that didn't mean that this man had to be so smug about telling me that. He looked as if he looked forward to telling me that, as if he enjoyed breaking the news to me like that. And "this woman" as he called her looked ready to cry.

"You said I could tell her, Ebisu-san," my mother said to the man, Ebisu.

"You took too long."

I shoved him away from her. "Look, as far as I know, you are some pervy looking guy who is insulting my mother. Tell me what you were ordered to, or else I'll set the animals on you."

Of course, most of our animals were herbivores, and the only one that could attack really would be Sasu-chan. But that sounded more impressive than, "Or I'll call for Sasu-chan, and if he decides to come outside and not take a nap or go chase the birds, have him attack you." And it sounded a lot better than, "I'll set the plants on you."

Ebisu dusted away the area where I touched him and continued with the news, "Anyways, your real mother, girl, is actually a servant woman." He seemed to enjoy saying that to me, as if he was trying to make me seem inferior to him.

"And who was my father?" I asked, even though I had a pretty good idea on who it was already.

Ebisu scowled as he replied, "Your father was…the third Hokage, god rest his soul."

"God rest his soul? Don't tell me that…" My mother replied, shocked.

"Yes, our Hokage," Ebisu took of his hat and closed his eyes as he continued, "has died last night." He looked all the part of a mourner.

I began to doubt his sincerity when he continued, "And he chose an inconvenient time to do so."

My mother fanned herself, while I decided to get more information.

"I have brothers?" I heard vaguely about the Hokage's children, though I didn't know much about them as news came slowly to where I was.

"Yes. You have three, or in a way four."

"Four?"

"Well, your three brothers, who have royal parents on both sides of their family," he grinned as he said that, "are the real heirs. There is another boy, who seems to have much potential, who is also an heir."

"What are they like?" I was curious to see what my brothers were like, after all, I might end up having to fight them later…

"Well, the eldest is Kiba, who has been away from the Konoha for a while. He has some," Ebisu paused for a moment, "interesting…yes, _interesting_ ideas on how to do things."

Something about his tone made me think he didn't mean interesting at all. "About what?"

"Everything," he replied, not helping at all. "Then there is Lee, who is strong in …well, I suppose…in a sense."

"How?"

"Let's just leave it at that. Lastly, there is Naruto. He is a bit of a wild child, playing pranks and dabbling far too much in that rubbish."

I started to imagine a little kid, throwing stones at windows and vandalizing buildings. Surely he didn't mean that.

"What about the other heir?" _Maybe we can be allies…_

"Oh, he is a very intelligent person, with strength and skills that surpass many. He is a very apt ninja, and his name is Uchiha Sasuke."

"Oh." My character has a crush on my opponent. Lovely. I hope that doesn't get in the way. "What—"

"Wait until you see them," Ebisu replied.

"You're taking her to court?" My mother asked, surprised.

"Of course."

"But I thought it was too dangerous for her!"

"The Hokage willed it."

"I thought the Hokage died," I said, trying to get a word in edgewise.

He raised an eyebrow at me, showing his doubt in my mental capacities. "He did it at his deathbed. Of course, he was quite _feverish_ then," Ebisu clearly though the Hokage wasn't in his right mind, "When you were born, your servant-girl mother died. Of course, several advisors thought that a mother and her first-born child dying at the same time wouldn't be uncommon, but the Hokage wouldn't allow it. He wanted to let you live, as he has a kind soul." He sniffed a little at this.

Right. He was kind, abandoning his child like that. I could completely imagine him as my real father.

"Oh, and now he decides to pay attention to me because of his guilty conscience?"

"Yes, and, his mind was clearly clouded by his sickness when he requested this," Ebisu looked at me coldly, "You are to be the next Hokage."

Oh. I thought I would have to fight it out with the other heirs.

"Well, are you going to get on my horse?" He seemed to be in a hurry to get out of here.

"What? I thought she could stay a little longer, at least until her father comes. He'll be coming soon!" My mother desperately pleaded.

"No, we are in a hurry." He got onto his horse and looked at me expectantly.

"Don't worry, mother. Tell father I'll be fine," I replied. _Like I will wait for 'father'_. Besides the fact that I didn't like saying goodbye to my dad anyways, I knew that the game probably wanted me to waste time waiting, or make some silly mistake. And my grandmother, even though my parents are rich, couldn't afford to send me here often to finish the game. My dad, the tycoon in the business world he is, wouldn't let me see a dime of his money.

As I got ready to get on the horse, I told her one last thing, "I'll send for you later."

Even if I don't finish the game, it was worth seeing the look on Ebisu's face when I said that.

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	3. First Meetings

As we rode through the streets, I looked around and noticed the village around me. There was a flower shop nearby, along with several restaurants. Many people were looking at me—or was it Ebisu?—as we went past them.

Now, while I had absolutely no experience riding horses, as most animals always try to

a) attack me upon contact or

b) try to avoid me so I don't accidentally fall and squash them,

luckily, though, my character had ridden a horse before. Actually, it was a pony and she was only seven, but she still was able to get an idea of how to ride, so I just let her take over.

Which was a good idea. I expect that if I fell off, I probably would have been abandoned by Ebisu. Hokage's orders or not.

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**Chapter three**

_Nice to meet you—Not!_

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Finally we reached a huge building. I'm not sure what I was expecting, well, now that I think about it, I thought I would end up in a cave. Or maybe an abandoned building, filled with spiders or rats. And then the people around me would watch me pathetically trying to flee the area.

The building we got to, instead, was tall. There was a large staircase on one side of it that led to the top of the building, where there were several trees. Clustered around the building were several fountains and a few smaller buildings. A forest was on one side, while giant faces covered with flowers was on another.

Giant faces.

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(I nearly fell off the horse)

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Oh. Not real faces. They were carved into a cliff, and my 'memory' tells me that they are the past Hokages.

When we reach the building, several other ninjas are in front of it, ready to help me off, ignoring the overwhelming smell that came off me. Made me feel like a princess as they were so gentle, and my character enjoyed it as much as I did.

As soon as I touched the floor, Ebisu disappeared (probably to take a shower, as he kept sniffing so much during the ride).

As I looked around, I noticed a long, black-haired…girl (I think) walk up to me. Her eyes were a little yellow, and I did. Not. Like. Her. Grin. _At. All._

(It was creepy)

She was a little pale, and when she stuck her hand out, seemed bony.

"Hello?"

She chuckled a little at my words, a very _odd_ chuckle. And then, when she spoke, it was in a soft hiss.

"Hello. I'm Orochimaru," she spoke in a deeper voice than I expected, "and you are Sakura?"

Oops. I just noticed that 'she' was actually a _he_. (Or, she has a flatter chest than me)

I hesitated for a moment, and then shook hands with him. "Yes."

"Good," he smiled, before grabbing my hand. "Then I will take you to where the others are waiting. Fine?"

I nodded my head mutely, shivering a little at his cold touch. As he led me in the building, up the stairs, I looked around to see the rooms, gaping in awe at the rooms. They were fancily decorated, with intricate designs painted on the walls and woven into the carpets. And I get to _live_ in here.

Finally, we stopped in front of two huge doors. As Orochimaru pushed open the doors, I quickly composed myself.

"Calm down. It's just a bunch of people," I reminded myself, "a bunch of important people who could probably kill me if I anger them." (Yes, calming down was never my forte).

I peeked inside the room for a moment, before I heard a whisper in my ear.

"Well, it's time to meet your competition, Sakura-chan."

I shuddered for a moment. _Gross_. His mouth was close to my ear. Seriously, that is just…_gross_.

Then he rudely shoved me into the room, where I tripped face forward onto the ground. Luckily, it was covered by a soft carpet, so I recovered quickly. Looking up from the ground, I noticed several guys and a girl looking at me. The girl had long blonde hair, and seemed disgusted _(I think it's me)_. Her blue eyes closed for a while, and she turned her head away from me.

As I slowly got up, three hands appeared in front of me. One was from a guy with a grey coat with a furry hoodie. He had red triangles (_tattooed_?) under his eyes, and had a…wild appearance. Another was from a boy with blonde hair (reminded me of the sun) and blue eyes. He looked similar to the girl, maybe they were siblings? And the last hand…

Well, the last hand belonged to this green…person. I think he is a person. His clothes were green, and his hair was black. And his eyes…well, I got distracted by his furry eyebrows and his shining mouth.

…It is true what they say about first appearances. They really do tell you a lot about people. (_Freaks_, my brains screamed out, _Freaks!_)

I hesitantly grabbed the first two hands (because, _no_, I didn't want the creature to get too close) and they pulled me up.

As I dusted my skirt, I noticed that there was another boy in the room.

And I think I died.

Not really. At least, not in the game. But I might as well have.

In front of my stood one of the most handsomest (not a word, but he_ is_ it) guys I've ever seen. He had long raven strands of hair, with two bangs around his face and several strands nearly covering his eyes. And his eyes…they were dark, like his hair, and pulled me.

I started to turn red, because I just realized that besides this beautiful (he could have been a girl) guy, those two guys that helped me up were also…handsome. Amazingly so, I wouldn't mind being alone with either of them. I was in a room with three hot guys. I recognized them from the promo, and I wasn't expecting them to be so…smexy.

…Maybe this is heaven?

While I was fantasizing, the guy with the tattoos started to sniff the air a little, before saying, "What's that _smell_?"

A moment breaker.

He looked at me, and sniffed again. Then he snorted, before muttering something about girls and perfumes and how-_some_-of-us-are-_really_-desperate-to-be-noticed.

I turned red now because of anger and embarrassment.

The blonde girl smirked at that, saying in her haughty voice, "Oh, well,_ some_ of us were not lucky enough to be born rich, or into a prominent family, Kiba."

So this was the infamous Kiba. With his odd views on the world.

The green boy spoke then.

"Stop teasing her, Ino." That must be the girl. "I, the green beast of Konoha, will win the fair maiden's heart. If I do not, I will run around the city five hundred times!"

"Lee…" the cute, blonde boy spoke now, "Give up. She won't fall for you."

"Naruto, are you to be my opponent? I wish you the best! And I will not go easy on you!" Lee, I think that's his name, declared, before turning to me. I could literally see hearts in his eyes, before he bowed before me, grabbing my hand. "My fair princess," he started to kiss my hand, before he froze. Coughing slightly, he bowed again, before backing away a little.

Naruto laughed at this, and then sniffed the air a little. He started to cough a little too, before the onyx-eyed boy looked coolly at me.

Ino, noticing him, said, "Sasuke-kun, maybe we should get the windows open, ne? Or go out for some fresh air?"

Well _pardon me_ for the smell. Like I can help it that I am practically a walking, talking perfume factory. If you guys would just ignore the damn smell, then….

Did she say "Sasuke"?

…She did. Oh. That boy must be Uchiha Sasuke.

My character's crush.

I can see why now.

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**A/N: ** Most of the characters are now introduced. At least, most of the main characters. Don't worry, the rest of the cast will be pushed in somehow.

And I put the next chapter too. So you can all be happy that I tried to makeup for not updating enough since January.


	4. Family Time

I started to feel something, a sort of static electricity in the air, but I ignored it for the moment. I was a little busy trying hard not to blush, cause something to make me seem even poorer/lower than I already was, and figure out why we all were in this room.

All of the guys turned to Ino, who sighed for a moment before speaking.

"Well, I suppose I should tell you what you need to do."

_You suppose?_

She quickly held up her long, purple skirt (which looked silky…and comfortable…and why-can't-_I-_get-one-of-those?) as she slowly sat down on the chair behind her.

I quickly scanned the room, noticing that it had two windows with colored glass covering them and light blue curtains. There was a giant desk in the center of the room, with three chairs in front of it and a chair behind it. Behind the desk were two book shelves, covered with dusty, thick books.

"Well, our _darling _Haruno Sakura," she pointed at me, spitting the words out, "is to become _Hokage_."

Her tone made it clear to me how much she thought that was a bad idea.

"She'll be declared Hokage in two days."

In two days?

"If she survives that long, that is."

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**Hokage's Choice –Chapter Four**

_Fun and Games—it's Family Time__!_

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I grinned nervously as she said that. She was joking.

(I hope.)

Kiba smirked as he looked at me again, and Naruto frowned a little.

(.Justa_freaking-not-funny_joke)

Lee sighed at this comment, and the air became slightly tense.

Ino spoke again.

"I think we should kill her now."

I gasped. _Already?_

"Well…that would make it easier for us…" Kiba drawled.

"NO!" Lee stood in front of me, yelling out, "She is the next Hokage!"

(That was close. I was starting to worry)

(Actually, I was worried. I nearly had a seizure.)

Ino sighed a little at this. "Fine, Lee." She looked at my savoir for a moment, before putting on an apologetic look. "Sorry." Then she looked helplessly at him.

"Can you do me a favor?"

"What?" Lee suspiciously replied. (Good job, Lee!)

"Well…can you go get the counselors? We must inform them about the new Hokage, you know."

(It's a **trap**. She is having _that_ smile on her face…)

Lee seemed to glow. "I knew you would agree! Fine, I shall go get them! If I can't get them all here in a moment, I shall do handstands for two hours!" He smiled at me, blinding me for a moment, before he quickly left the room.

Leaving me alone.

With people who want to kill me.

(Yes, naivety is something _every_ hero should have)

Ino spoke again.

"Naruto, are you fine with us killing her?"

(Thank you, Lee. I might die now.)

Naruto looked troubled for the moment, not sure if he should agree or not.

(Come on. Help the poor girl!)

"Do _you_ want _her_ to be _Hokage_?"

Naruto started to reply, "No…but…"

"What about your _dream_?"

His eyes widened at that. "Sorry," he looked at me with the saddest eyes I've ever seen. "Haruno Sakura-chan, please forgive me."

Then the air grew tense again as Kiba, Naruto, and Ino looked at me with cold eyes. All of the friendliness I saw a moment ago disappeared

Kiba seemed to be reaching in his pockets for a weapon, when a voice spoke out,

"Don't."

It was from Sasuke.

"You shouldn't kill her," he continued in his deep voice.

(You are now Sasuke-_kun_)

Ino looked surprised at what he said, whining, "But…"

(Hah! Take that, _princess_!)

He added, "She has been seen by too many people. They will wonder where she is."

Thanks. I think.

Ino sighed in defeat. "Fine, Sasuke-kun," she turned to the other two boys, "We'll just have to leave her alone for now…"

I grinned a little at this, before I noticed something odd. There were dark clouds in the air around us, and I noticed that there was some more of that static electricity I felt earlier.

Then, I saw some lightening sparks.

And it seemed to be moving through the walls….

My eyes widened a little at this sight, and I gave a soft gasp. "Hey…"

"Maybe this is a _jutsu_…" I thought. I paused at that. "What _is_ a jutsu?"

The character's mind started to fill me in. A jutsu was when _chakra_, energy in our body basically, was manipulated in a certain way (using _hand seals_) to create a desired effect.

Basically, _magic_. (Other information about this flooded my brain, but I didn't want to have to _try_ to understand it. Magic is good enough for me.)

"Hey," I repeated, louder. "Someone is using a jutsu against you."

Ino and Kiba turned to me. "A jutsu?" They looked around, but didn't seem scared. Sasuke-kun raised an eyebrow, but closed his eyes after.

"Shouldn't you," I started to hear thunder, and made my voice a little louder, "move out of the way?"

They looked at me in surprise, and then Ino asked, "Why?"

I started to yell a little, for the thunder was deafening by now.

"_YOU ARE ALL GOING TO FREAKING DIE IF YOU DO NOT MOVE OUT OF THE WAY OF THAT JUTSU!"_

Naruto looked at me nervously for a moment, before moving to the side. Ino and Kiba _(may-they-get-hit-and-rot-in-hell)_ stayed where they were. However, just when the storm was about to hit them, it vanished.

Leaving me to look like a complete idiot as Kiba started to laugh and Ino chuckled.

"Naruto, I can't believe you believed her," Ino gasped out, snorting a little as she kept laughing.

The boy looked a little embarrassed as he quickly moved back to them.

Great. I think I lost one of my few allies.

"Well," Ino said, "I guess we should ignore any possible mental patients," she looked me. (_This. Means. War. Pig.),_ "And go find out to the garden."

Kiba smirked at that. "Why go to the garden? We already have it in here."

(Because we just _can't_ let that **go**)

Ino giggled, before correcting herself, "Why don't we instead just go outside to the fresh air, at least?"

She then left the room, followed by Kiba, who leered at me for a moment before leaving. Naruto, ignoring me, was half-way through the door when he called back, "Sasuke-teme, hurry up!"

A dark shadow blurred past my face, and I realized I was alone in the room.

Well, not _completely_ alone.

I still had my _unique_ scent to keep me company.

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TBC

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**A/N:** I couldn't resist putting the TBC part in. Anyways, is this a good chapter? I hope so. And it's a double update! I'll try to update this every other week (that should hopefully be possible. But, I have history and French. That makes me worry).

I've noticed I have a lot of lurkers. This chapter is dedicated to those lurkers.


	5. Safety first

**To:** Uchiha Headquarters

**Sender:** SUchiha

**Subject:** Malfunctions

**Message:**

Citizen's Protecting Children from Fantasy (CPCF) attacked our building, #123 ten minutes ago. So far, most gamers were not harmed as they had not yet started their game and the police have taken the attackers into custody. However, one gamer was already submerged into the game when the attack took place. The gamer is currently physically unharmed. However, I am not sure if the gamer can remain that way. Attached are files regarding the game, the gamer, and the situation. Look into it and see what you can do.

I will be contacting the gamer in order to inform them of the situation.

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**Hokage's Choice**

_Chapter Five—Whatever happened to 'Safety first'?_

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I remained in room for a moment, organizing my thoughts. Ok, so I had a couple of rivals. Naruto and Lee didn't seem all that bad—I was sure if I could talk to them alone, I'd be fine. They were the only ones really reluctant to kill me. Ino got on my nerves, and Kiba was a very flirty jerk.

And Sasuke…

He looked like a god—actually, all of the boys (with the exception of Lee, though I supposed his personality could be endearing. Maybe) were very hot and therefore, I just got my money's worth.

(Maybe this was heaven? I mean…Naruto was just adorable, Kiba was so wild looking, and Sasuke was the bad boy. Everything I've ever wanted, in one room.)

Anyways, Sasuke was a wild card that I couldn't trust. He didn't like me nor did he hate me—with the exception of me being the heir and all that. He's just…there.

I didn't think I should try to make him my ally. **Yet**.

First, I'd go after Lee and Naruto.

Having made a decision, I left the room and wandered down the hall. The down side to thinking for that long was that no one—and I mean _no one_—was outside waiting for me.

Sure, I wasn't expecting them to wait, but couldn't one of them at least hang around and give me a tour? I'm the _heir_, so that wasn't _too much_ to expect, right?

-x-

Walking down the padded halls, I found a door and opened it. The sunlight blinded me as I stepped outside, softly closing the door behind me.

Finally! After walking around for an hour—a long hour of bumping into people, _Where am I_'s, and opening doors to empty rooms—I had finally found a way outside. I was finally out of that surprisingly big tower.

(Honestly, it looked a lot smaller from the outside.)

Peering around, I realized I was near a forest. Soft green grass carpeted the ground until the forest, with small clusters of blue, yellow, orange, and red flowers. Every now and then, a small tree stood, with purple and pink flowers decorating its branches. Butterflies, rabbits, and squirrels ran around. It looked very bright and happy.

By contrast, the forest looked very dark and uninviting. Large trees stood around the edges, filtering the sunlight so that only small patches of light actually made it past the branches. The pools of light were filtered here and there, leaving most of the ground in a dark gloom.

I shivered. I definitely didn't want to go in there. Looking around, I spotted a figure walking towards me.

It was a small boy. He had a long scarf around his neck and goggles on his head.

"Hey, you!" he called out to me. He started to run until he came to a stop in front of me.

"Yes?" I asked politely. It was best to not create further enemies.

"You…I'm going to become the next Hokage! Not you! Me!" he yelled. "I, Konohamaru, am going to take that title from you!" he pushed me, causing me to fall.

Oh great. Yet another rival. Honestly, why was it that everyone I met wanted to kill me?

He glared at me before running off towards the forest.

The very forest I had a bad feeling about.

"Hey! Kid!" I yelled, getting up. "Hey, that place looks dangerous! Come back!" I started to jog after him when a bright light hit my eyes again.

Up in the sky, a beam of light surrounded by clouds appeared. In the middle of that light was a figure that floated slowly down. I could hear trumpets and a chorus singing as it floated down. As it came closer, I could see the figure better.

It was a man, older than me. He had raven hair that was tied back in a ponytail. His dark eyes and aristocratic face matched his body. The only thing that looked odd about him—besides the whole floating thing—were the pair of angel wings attached to his body.

He looked a bit like Sasuke. Not too much, but close enough that they could be siblings.

Maybe he was another character in the game. An angel…

Angels were good. Good means they could be my ally.

I could have a guardian angel! _YES_!

"Haruno Sakura," his sultry voice said, mesmerizing me. "I have important information to tell you, gamer."

Wait.

Gamer.

_Gamer?_

I'm not a 'gamer' in this world. "Hey! How do you—" I asked.

"Listen carefully," he interrupted me. "There has been a slight glitch in the program."

"A glitch?" Oh god. No. That's not good. Glitches usually ended up with dead people. "What do you—"

"The glitch in the game," he went on as if he hadn't heard me. Maybe he didn't. For all I know, this could be a one-sided conversation, "is not fatal."

"Oh, good. That means—"

"CPCF attacked our building and the machines, not realizing you were in the game."

Oh. So those adults actually broke in? What sort of security does this place have?

I should have attacked those parents when I had the chance.

"Other gamers have been rescued successfully. They were just starting the game, so we could get them out quickly."

Lucky them.

"However, you were further in when this happened. It happened only a short while ago but you can be saved. So, stay calm."

That means the lightening before must have been from the attack…I wasn't going crazy!

That thought doesn't comfort me as much as it should.

"You just have to finish the game in order to be saved…"

Oh. Like that would be easy.

"And—no, I should tell her everything. She has the right to know!" the man looked over his shoulder, as if he was talking to someone I couldn't see. Maybe it was someone from the real world. "Sakura, listen! I don't have much time to tell you this! Your life is in danger!"

_WHAT? WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE 'STAY CALM' THING?_

"If you play this game for too long, your brain is going to meltdown. You have to quickly win the game. If you don't, you'll die!" his voice sounded a little desperate now. He started to float up, the angel choir singing again as his voice started to grow fainter.

"Sakura, don't forget the ring! Don't forget it next time!" he started to yell something else, but his voice faded completely by then.

Ok, so I could die.

Die.

Death.

Never return to life.

_Oh. God._

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**A/N:** Sorry about the wait for the update. I'll try to update this soon, after I update **Ghost** and **Therapy for Dummies**. Anyways, I hope my style for this one hasn't changed too much (and if it has, it has for the better.) Hope you enjoyed!

Review!

P.S. If there are any questions/suggestions/requests, please ask away.


	6. Forest of Death

Death had many meanings in my mind. It was associated with old people (which I totally was not.

Ish.

I felt old, though, as I was going to graduate soon…

Damn. I _was_ getting old.)

It was also something that sick people got (which, once again, I was not. And this was totally disregarding the whole talking-to-myself thing). My body was healthy, my mind was sharp, and therefore, while not immortal, I would (should) live long.

Life didn't always follow the plan, did it?

Death was an empty black space in which I would be nothing. I would mean nothing, everything I did up to this point would be nothing.

It was a frightening thought to experience in the warm sun.

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_**Hokage's Choice**_

_Chapter 6—The Forest of Death_

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"Calm down, Sakura," I whispered to myself, sitting down on the damp grass. "That's it, take away your troubles."

For a few years, my mom had taken me to yoga classes. We'd gone every Sunday (I'd woken up extra early to surprise her) to a community center nearby and just blown away our problems with twenty other people. I'd always looked forward to those mornings, practicing all week and learning new things to show off. It was a ritual.

(Then mother darling had to go off to who-knows-where and live in a tiny apartment and leave me alone.)

Placing my body into the lotus position, I started, slowly moving my way to more and more complex positions.

So, I might die.

Might being the key word there. There was still a chance that I'd survive. Of course, I'd have to work very hard and try all sorts of things, but still…

I had been very good at puzzles in school. This was just another puzzle, waiting for me to decode it.

And if I died, besides the many things I wanted to do but couldn't, I would try to go peacefully at least.

…Maybe not peacefully. But something close enough for me.

Oh, and if someone out there was recording this, my will was as follows:

_I, Haruno Sakura, of sound will and mind—wait, I'm stuck in a game. Am I really 'sane'?_—_hereby bequeathed the following items to the following people._

**Items:**

**1) **Books—To Hinata. You'd never take anything unless I forced you to. And I didn't want Ino to burn them by accident.

**2)** My beautiful shoes and teal sweater—Ino. Even though I should haveforced you to pay me for even touching these clothes. Even though I should have forced you to give back these shoes and sweater. You should have considered yourself lucky that I thought of you as my friend and would have found it hard to live without you. Especially since there was a character in this world that looked similar to you and acted like your younger self. It was annoying.

For that, I wasn't giving you the matching bag. At all.

**3) **My favourite Swiss Knife set—Tenten. Obviously, you've been treating this thing like it was a god and would. Not. Stop. Staring. Therefore, so you could finally move on with your life (and me with min—I mean, with my death), you could take it. And you could also have that weird fan that hangs in my room. Have fun.

**Other items:**

To charity. Whatever was left from Ino's plundering, that is. Yeah, I know she was going to do it.

**Side Clause:**

If I didn't die, this was all null and void. As in, Ino would never touch my clothes unless I let her.

-x-

Now that I had accepted what was happening, I needed to get a plan out of this.

(OH. GOD. I WAS GOING TO _DIE._)

I knew a few things, such as the fact I needed a ring—was that literally a ring or some sort of symbol?—and a way to beat the system.

…Wait, couldn't he have told me a clear way to win? Like, "Oh, the ring is in the second room of the house" or something?

And yet, he hadn't.

He had the chance to help me _live_ and instead made me fearful of my life.

Oh, when I was out of here, he was _so going down._

-x-

**To do:**

1. Find the ring. The ring that could have been on anyone's fingers, in anyone's purse, in a box in the attic, in some place I probably can't get to. It was like hide-and-seek.

(Lovely. I could see how long this would take.)

2. Find the boy who had just hit me. Just because he was a kid didn't mean he would get away with kicking _me_. I held grudges. And I would get him before I left.

3. Find out more about Sasuke, Kiba, and Naruto. For, uh, strategy purposes. And to make sure they wouldn't kill me and I could have allies.

Not for any _other_ reason. Yeah.

4. Figure out what I would have to do to get out of this bloody game. Alive, preferably.

5. Once I was out of here, go hit the guy who'd given me advice. He needed to learn something about communication and customer service.

-x-

In an effort to do number two, because I was near the boy and therefore could get that item off the list, I looked across the field to the woods he ran into. They looked a bit…foreboding. Ignore the crows flying around, the vultures in the trees, the pairs of red eyes, and the trees themselves made the wood look creepy.

Maybe I should leave the kid alone. Being in there must have been the biggest punishment ever.

A small shout came out of the forest and I froze.

It sounded like the boy.

It came from the forest.

It seemed to be trouble.

Not that I was very scared or anything, but that forest just had to be teeming with evil creatures and animals. And maybe evil people too, but that depended on this world.

Save the boy or not? That was a hard thing to decide. One the one hand, saving him would obviously get me brownie points if what he told me was true about his connection with the last Hokage. He could also help me figure out what to do.

On the other hand…he deserved some punishment. Why should I risk my life to save the brat?

Another scream pierced the air and my decision was made. The kid was lucky that I was such a nice, kind, gentle person and couldn't bear to let others be hurt.

(_Yeah, right.)_

I just waited a few moments before going. It wouldn't hurt him _that_ much to suffer a _little_ longer.

-x-

"Hey, kid!" I called out, brushing away branches from my face. The forest was filled with green, leafy plants; some crawled up trees and others covered the dirt. Flowers of purple and pink appeared here and there and would have been beautiful if not for the evil black aura that hovered around them. Sounds of slithering and large animals could be heard, but not seen.

This was practically a forest of death. Despair hung in the air and my lungs were full of it.

"Kid, get out of wherever the heck you are!" I screamed, hoping he'd hear me.

No answer.

"Seriously, if you don't come out soon…" My voice trailed off as I walked into a small path. In front of me was the kid, lying face first into the dirt.

A puddle of red pooled near his chest and I knew without looking at his face, without checking his pulse, he was dead.

_Oh, god_. He _died_. All because I left him alone for a little longer. If I had just come quicker, if I had just—

And he was dead. All because of me.

Hesitantly, I went towards the still figure, leaning down on my knees. Even if I hadn't like him, he deserved a better resting place. Maybe I should drag him—

A thudding sound rang in my ears and too late, I realized it came from my head. A fuzzy feeling took over me and before I knew it, the colours all faded to black and I knew nothing more.

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**A/N:** Next chapter, done. I'm glad I updated this sooner than last time. Anyways, cliff-hanger! ^-^

I'll try to update in a week or two. No promises, though. I have to update _Ghost_ and _Therapy for Dummies_ first.

**Questions?**_ Comments?_ Suggestions?

_**Review!**_


	7. Back to Start

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I could almost smell the burnt toast. Burnt toast has a distinctive smell, you know, especially when it is burnt properly. It's annoying and clogs up your nose and when you hear the charred bread getting touched, it grates at your ears.

Well, it does for me at the least. That might have been because my mom used to burn it a lot when we still lived together. Usually, I would wake up to burnt food and a ringing alarm going off. The neighbors would either yell at us to turn it off or just ignore us and sleep—it happened so often that they were used to it. I'd quickly crawl out of bed, yawning and turn off the stove in the kitchen.

Sometimes, Mom (she was still 'Mom' back then) would give me a sheepish smile and say, "Maybe next time I'll get it right." I was only seven but I could see a barely good cook my mother was not.

Then she had to go and change on me and the neighbors no longer have to experience mother's cooking experiments anymore. She usually eats at really fancy restaurants now days.

It had been so long since I smelled burnt toast but there was something nostalgic about it. I hated smelling it when I was younger, hated it and would have done everything in my power to get rid of it. Now I'm desperately sniffing the air, hoping to find the lingering traces of the burnt bread.

It's funny how life changes so much.

"Sakura!" A voice called my name. It was familiar for some reason. The burnt toast, my name being called…

It couldn't be.

Opening my eyes, I stared at the pink flowers in front of me and muffled a scream.

Yes, it definitely wasn't what I expected.

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**Hokage's Choice**

_Chapter Seven—Back to start_

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I scurried down the stairs, eager to find that ring and get somewhere with this game. Luckily, I was still alive. When I died earlier, I thought I was gone for good. That was just how real the simulation felt. Now, I still had a chance to save my life.

The key to that would be the ring. A list of suspects would be useful. After I yelled at the king's messenger again, I ignored his speech and started to compose a list.

**1) Parents **– These parents of mine were dirt poor. They were married in the barn. There wasn't even a party or gifts. They were poor even by the _peasants'_ standards. No ring here.

**2) Messenger **– I stared at his face for a moment and then his hands. He was ring-less, so I guess that answers that question.

**3) Orochimaru** – Uh, creepy, creepy man. If he had the ring, he could keep it.

**4) Kiba** –The flirt he was, he probably would have a dozen of them to woo the ladies with. Woo…the game was affecting my language now. Kiba = high suspect for now.

**5) Ino **–WHY THAT ANNOYING…she probably would have hundreds of rings. I wouldn't mind scavenging her box. Especially if I got to break half the stuff in it. I had only met these people for a short time and already I hate most of them? This game had better pick up.

**6) Sasuke** – He didn't seem like the kind to have rings. Unless he was married or engaged, which would make me sad. Then again, he seemed pretty blood-thirsty to me, so I'd rather not discover any secret fetishes he might have.

**7) Naruto** – He could have it. With the way he acts, he'd probably give me it if I asked.

**8) Lee** – Ditto on this guy.

**9) Brat** –Even though he killed me and I would love to get a little revenge for that…he seems a little young.

**10) Someone else? **–This is probably it. Considering I have barely started the game, I might not have even met that person. This left a lot of someones.

I wondered if it was a plain ring or a fancy one. What if it was hidden in some room or—

There were just too many places. Killing the guy who gave me that clue moved high on my priority list, just below saving my life.

"Please, let her wait for her father," my mother pleaded once more and I took that as my cue to leave.

"Don't worry, mother. Tell father I'll be fine," I told her as I got on the horse. "Now, let's hurry."

As we went through the countryside and up to the main village, I puzzled over what I should do next. Yes, I probably should meet the family again. However, I didn't want a repeat of _The Weakest Link_ and have them all turn on me.

Sniffing myself, the first thing I would do would be to take a bath. And maybe change my clothes too.

When we arrived, Orochimaru approached me once more.

"Hello, I'm Orochimaru," he said, eyeing me like a hungry snake. "and you are Sakura?"

"Yes," I held out my hand to shake his, restraining the urge to shiver when his cold hand accepted it.

"Good." He smiled and I cringed slightly. "Then I will take you to where the others are waiting. Fine?"

Now that I knew what to expect, I could tell these lines were scripted and rehearsed to perfection. He probably knew what would happen to me if I met the rest of the family—in fact, he was probably anticipating what would happen.

Well, all bets were off. I shook my head. "I'd rather take a bath first. I need to look presentable after all."

He raised an eyebrow, not looking startled like I hoped he would be, and nodded. The smile returned and so did that odd chuckle as he turned around. "Follow me," he said leading down a different hall than the one he lead me to before.

We passed countless hallways, climbing steadily higher and higher up the building until we reached a door at least. Knocking once, he opened it and motioned for me to get in. "They will help you change."

Curious, I took a step in and peered around. There were various scraps of cloth on the floor, cut and ripped and stuck together with pins and needles. A box of needles lay in one corner and a whole set of mannequins—not the ordinary female ones that you found everywhere, but life-sized figurines of people I passed in the halls—crowded one corner of the room. A table with a small candle on it stood off to one side and there were several outfits on the chair in front of it. A young man with spectacles and a bandage on his nose and fingers smiled and nodded at me.

"There's a guy in here," I said immediately.

"Oh," Orochimaru finally looked in the room. "My mistake. This is the tailor for the royal family and one of the healers as well. This is my assistant, Kabuto. Kabuto, this is the girl, Sakura-chan, that is now the heir to the kingdom." Hold it, where did this guy get off calling me 'Sakura-chan'?

"Hello, Sakura-chan," Kabuto said after glancing at Orochimaru. Oh, so now this guy was also doing it? He held out his hand and I sighed as I took it. As we shook hands, I felt a small shock go through me before he let go. Static energy, perhaps.

Leading the way once more, Orochimaru passed three more doors before stopping once more and knocking again. A brash voice yelled, "Coming," before the door clicked open and I could see brown eyes peering curiously at mine.

"Yeah?" The eyes turned to face Orochimaru and I could see there was another boy in front of me, one with dark brown hair covered with a small cap.

"This is the new heir, Sakura-chan. She wants a bath. I'm sure your lady won't mind if she has another with her."

"…" The boy paused, considering this, and then nodded. "Fine."

"Good."

"Hey, he's a boy!"

"His lady isn't," Orochimaru replied as he left me alone. I glared at his departing figure but really, it could have been worse. At least I wasn't in the clutches of the angry heirs.

"So…" I smiled awkwardly, toeing the brick floor. A cool draft breezed by, causing me to shiver, and the boy sighed before turning back in.

"Follow me, my lady should see you first."

"Ok…"

I might survive today.

-x-

**To:** SUchiha

**From: **Uchiha Headquarters

**Subject:** Re _Malfunctions_

It is disappointing that something like this should happen to one of our branches, especially to the one _you_ were visiting. As one of the scions, you should have never let this happen. As it is, we trust that you will deal with this matter efficiently and quickly, minimizing the damage by controlling the situation effectively. Watch the customer's actions and notify us for any changes in the customer's condition.

We'd also like you to send us information on the client so we may find a way to deal with any potential lawsuit that may occur, whether she is alive or not.

-x-

His lady was a quite girl. She was a tad boring sometimes—she fainted and blushed a little too often for me.

She was cute, for sure, with her lace and ribbons decorating her dress. Her dark blue/purple hair—it was hard to tell—reached just below her shoulders, curling slightly with the front bangs. I was jealous; mine was ragged and stopped around my chin. Apparently I cut them myself, to save a trip to the barbers because I was too lazy.

I hate my all-to-accurate lazy self.

At first, I thought she was blind because of her pale, moon-coloured eyes. There were no pupils and what was I supposed to think? When she got up from her chair, bowed to me, and then returned to her chair without any assistance at all, I realized I was wrong.

Good thing I didn't mention anything.

"Hello," I said, smiling when we were introduced. "I'm—"

"The future Hokage," the boy cut in, rudely interrupting me.

"O-oh…" his lady mumbled, stuttering and bowing profusely. "H-hello, H-Hokage-sama."

"I'm not the Hokage yet."

"W-well…s-sorry, H-Hokage-sa-sama."

"I'm the _future_ one, if I survive. Not present."

"Ok, H-Hokage-sa-sama."

I sighed after this went on for a while, the boy grinning amusedly as he watched. The louse. After he a while, he grew bored and helped. "This is my lady, Hinata-sama. She's one of the heirs of her noble and ancient clan, the Hyuuga's. My lady, Orochimaru-san wants her to be dressed."

"O-ok, w-what shoul-d-d we g-get h-her?"

"I'll get the clothes, Hinata-sama, you just sit here and entertain the guest."

"O-ok."

I doubted this would be nothing more than an awkward conversation but after we got past the opening, she wasn't that bad. In fact, I learned quite a bit about this place from her. Not enough on the other characters—apparently, Hinata had been doing some work outside Konoha for a while, under her father's orders.

Apparently, most of the heirs are actually the dead Hokage's grandchildren. With the exception of me, of course. I would be twenty years or so younger than any of his children, had they survived. Lee was more of a black sheep compared to the rest, with no real talent, and was more or less raised by one of the guards. Naruto was adopted or orphaned really young, no one knew which, and Kiba was a cousin them both. Ino was a niece twice removed and while she had a huge crush on Sasuke, she flirted with Kiba a lot too. Sasuke, the enigma he was, wasn't really related to any of them but was one of the most skilled ninja's (kind of like a knight) in the kingdom.

So, when it came down to it, I was the only one who was actually immediately related to the Hokage.

Which meant, that I was really the only one with a legitimate claim on the throne and they were all angry that they just got bumped down a spot. No wonder they tried to kill me.

"I'm back, Hinata-sama," the boy called out as he opened the door and brought in trunk. "Here are your ordinary clothes, the ones we can spare."

The clothes that were brought were nice enough, silky garments that went down past my ankles and pooled on the floor. A little too expensive for me but considering they were Hinata-san's 'plain' clothes, I took them.

"First, a bath," the boy said firmly as I reached for a dark green dress. He grabbed my arm and pulled me towards one of the attached rooms. "We can't have you walking around with that smell."

The bathtub was marble, nothing like the wooden ones that my 'parents' had. Steaming hot water was already in it, showing the real reason the boy took so long to bring the clothes.

"I'll take it from here." I pushed the boy towards the door, eager to jump in, when the boy laughed and wouldn't budge.

"I can't let you, the future Hokage-sama , take a bath without any help. Do you want me to lose my job?"

And I couldn't let a boy watch me bath. Did he want me to kill him? "Then go find a girl to do it."

He laughed once more and this time the voice was lighter than before. "Considering that Hinata-sama trusts you and asked me to do this, I suppose I can reveal it to you. I'm a girl."

I gaped. Probably looked like a fish, my mouth was so wide and open. I knew I stared for a long time, since she kept laughing and I couldn't believe I didn't notice it before. Sure, she didn't have more than a short covering of hair and no chest, but her figure…

When I finally closed my shut, I opened it again to ask a question. "Why does everyone think you are a boy?"

She gave me a wry grin, her eyes a little darker, and I might have just asked something I shouldn't have.

"It's…easier that way. Now, I need you to get in already. It's getting late and my lady still hasn't had her afternoon walk." Without much further ado, she stripped me and pushed me into the tub.

I wasn't complaining and I didn't ask anymore about it. Hot water = heaven.

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**A/N:** Look, a longer chapter. A new chapter. I haven't forgotten this story, for those of you still reading this. Though, uh, is Sakura IC? I'm a little worried…

And, I hope it is obvious who the maid is…

**Review!**


	8. A Strange Encounter

I lay, soaking in the hot water, and sighed. Even though some of the things in this place were outdated, at least the bathtub was ok. It was made of stone and though it was cold at first, at least the water warmed it up so it didn't make my back go numb.

The same couldn't be said about how hard it was. The good thing was that nothing sharp was pointing in my back, impaling me and killing me before my lovely relatives tried to.

Hmm…I was already thinking of them as my relatives. I need to get out of here fast.

Scrubbing myself with my hands (the scrubs and things they gave me didn't look very…hygienic. Or safe. I could swear that the red on one of the brushes was blood.), I got rid of most of the dirt. The flower scent faded mostly, until it stayed in the background like it should.

Getting out, I slipped into the dress Tenten left for me to get into. Apparently, they were Hinata's but she didn't use them very much.

After putting them on, I could tell why. They were all lace and hoops, with ends of cloth hanging loosely around. It could easily get caught in any little hook, branch, door, or anything with a point. The lace got in the way and I could barely lift my arms and move my legs, let alone walk or run.

Obviously, the person who made this expected Hinata to remain sitting for the rest of her life.

Obviously, that person was wrong.

Eager to gain more information, I entered Hinata's room once more only to find that it was barren.

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**Hokage' Choice**

_Chapter Eight—A strange encounter_

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"Hinata-sama? Tenten-sa—oh, right." Tenten told me that by the time I was finished they'd probably be out for their afternoon walk.

(How did she know I was going to take so long? Was it really a girl thing?)

Turning around, I headed down the stairs to find them when I saw Lee also about to exit the building. He was holding a bouquet of daisies, bluebells, and lilies—it looked like he made the bouquet himself, considering I recognized some of those flowers from the small garden outside.

"Hi, Lee-san," I called out, waving a little. Of all the contenders, he and Naruto seemed the safest. That is, until they decided to kill me as well. Though, that was because of peer pressure (oh, now there was a whole point to the peer pressure movies in health class.)

Considering no one was here to bully him into killing me, he might just be willing to give me a hand. He just might.

He didn't notice me at first, still walking towards the door in deep thought. The second time I called he responded.

"Have we met? If I have forgotten, I will take three hundred laps around the village" Oops. I forgot we hadn't been introduced this time. "You are a beautiful flower, in the spring of your youth." He gave me a smile, a blinding one that was all teeth, and I shivered as I saw his eyebrows raise. It's shallow of me to get scared of his eyebrows because they are so thick but…

They are so _thick_.

No, I shouldn't think like that. No. Bad Sakura.

"We haven't yet, I just heard about you. I'm Haruno Sakura, the heir to the—"

"I didn't recognize you! I'm sorry—I will do five hundred sit-ups as an apology." It seemed like a personal affront that he didn't realize who I was. He was about to drop down, the flowers still clenched tightly in his hands, and I feared for them.

"You don't have to do that!" I grasped for straws. "You have some nice flowers there!"

"Really?" He smiled at me, not the blinding one from before but a more soft, gentle one. He should do that more often, it looked more natural. I liked him better like this.

The smile seemed a little sad, though.

"Yeah, they are. You didn't arrange them very well, but who can anyways?" I laughed and he joined in, though it was a more muted sound to me. It was almost like the very he greeted me at the beginning was him trying to make an effort and now he had given up.

Why?

"Who are those flowers for?"

He glanced at them, taking out one lily before he answered. "Here, one's for you. I can't leave a young lady without a flower."

Hesitantly, I grabbed the red/orange lily but he was avoiding the question. "Are you sure? Won't the person you're giving them to mind?"

"No." The sad smile had returned. "Gai-sensei wouldn't want me to leave a girl without a flower." He was distracted again, one hand running through his really short, black hair. Lee said, shifting the bouquet to his other hand. "Gai-sensei wouldn't mind at all."

As I watched him look at the bouquet, I wondered just what about Gai made him so sad.

-x-

**To:** UchihaCorps

**From**: SUchiha

**Subject:** Lawsuits

I think it is a little early to be considering a potential lawsuit, especially considering nothing has been done yet to secure the client safely. It is uncertain if the client will survive, if the client will have any permanent mental or physical scars, or any other sort of mishap. As it is, there is no point in sending the client's files as there is no clue as to what sort of case will be fought or if there is even one. The lawyers will not be able to gather evidence without knowing what type of case there is.

As it is, the first scans on the client have been completed. They have not been fully analyzed yet, though there is a so far n o sign of anything that can be done or results of what has already happened to her. The second scans are about to start to ensure that incase the first is mistaken, that the second will be able to confirm what is there.

-x-

Lee left me, in a hurry to do whatever it was that he needed to do for Gai.

Should I call him Gai-sensei, even though I didn't know who he was? No matter, that thought wasn't important right now.

What was important was that I found what I was looking for, which was Tenten and Hinata. Maybe even the other relatives so that I can start finding people to rely on.

Actually, considering the majority of them want to kill me, Hinata and Tenten it is. Maybe they can tell me about other people here who can help me. Some adults—mentors, teachers, advisors, whatever, as long as they won't kill me I'm fine.

As I left the building, I closed my eyes at the blinding sun. Walking forward a little with my eyes closed, all of a sudden my world tilted and I fell to the ground.

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**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait—exams were there last two months month. Ironically, summer school is making me write more. Anyways, I have the drafts for the next two chapters ready so as long as I can type, there will be an update each week.


	9. The Rook and the Knight

I gave a loud yelp as the world tilted and I crashed into the ground. Sprawled there, my hands stung from where they scrapped against the rocks and grass. My chest hurt as all the wind got knocked out of me and it was hard to breathe for a few minutes.

Feeling a little dizzy, I tried to get up when I realized that I tripped over something—my legs where still caught on it. Groaning, I rolled off it and lay on my back, staring at the sky.

Just who put something so dangerous near the doors? I mean, someone could have—and I _did_—get hurt!

(Oh, wait. Everyone here might be a ninja. Or really good at noticing these things. Now that I think about it, I wasn't fully paying attention…)

There were a few clouds in the sky, most of them vague shapes with the edges blurred and ever-changing. Finally catching my breathe, I sat up and turned to look at what I tripped over.

It was a boy.

He was staring at me.

Grumbling under his breath, he asked, "Are you ok?" He sounded annoyed, as though he was the one who just got hurt.

Twitching a little, I replied, "Do I look ok?" He gave an exasperated sigh, mentioning something about women and how troublesome they are.

As though he wasn't the one lying near some doors tripping people as they left. He scratched his head for a moment before answering. "Except for your hands, you do."

"What? You hurt me and without so much as an apology, you assume that I'm ok?" I stand up quickly, irritated. He still lay there, staring at me with his dark eyes. There was only a little dirt on his forest green vest and dark pants and his spiky hair, put up in a ponytail, was slightly messy. That was probably his own fault. Glancing at my clothes, I noticed a small tear and a few dirt stains. "These clothes aren't even mine!" I stomp the ground angrily, a childish gesture, I know but I had to do something.

"Then don't wear them."

"…" I didn't bother answering that because he did have a point (as infuriating as it was.)

"Besides, you should watch where you're going." With that, he closed his eyes once more, ignoring me.

That was it. I blew up at him.

After watching me for a few minutes, venting out my anger on the ground and yelling at him, he cocked his head to the side and asked, "Are you done yet?"

I twitched once more. There was something about him that made me see red.

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**Hokage's Choice**

_Chapter Nine--The Rook and the Knight_

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After I finally calmed down, taking in deep breaths to keep my temper in check, I flopped down on the ground.

"Done yet, woman?"

I nearly felt like yelling at him again—how many times had I told him to stop calling me 'Woman'?—but stopped myself in time. Who knew who this guy was? For all I knew, he could be a good ally and I could be missing my chance to get him.

"…" He didn't say anything after that, closing his eyes as though he were to nap.

"I'm…" It was a little hard to say this, considering he started it and didn't try to apologize. In fact, he kept insinuating it was my fault! However, I had to try to make amends somehow. "I'm sorry about that. I was a little…tired."

Which, now that I think of it, I was a little. Though, that might be because it was getting late and I hadn't had a meal since morning and even that was a quick bite.

He still didn't say anything but when I started to introduce myself, he sighed and finally replied. "Considering what you learned today, it probably was."

"What?" I stared at him. How did he know who I was? I clenched my hands, wondering if he wanted to kill me as well, and winced. Glancing at them, I noticed that they were skimmed, bleeding a little.

They were the only part of me that was really hurt. He had mentioned that before. How did he know this?

"How do you know who I am?"

He didn't reply for a while again, leaving me hanging. Staring at the sky, he reached in his pockets for a small tin box. Opening it, he pulled out a cigar and lit it.

"This will take a while," he mumbled but I couldn't tell if it was for me to hear. Taking another drag, he continued. "I'm—"

"Shikamaru!" a voice called out and I turned up to see a tall boy, about my age, walking to us in a calm manner. His long, dark brown hair was pulled back, tied at the bottom and he had pale eyes, like moonstones. With a mouth set in a grim line, his face looked imposing and a shiver ran up my spine.

"…Nara Shikamaru," Shikamaru finished his sentence, expelling another puff of smoke as he watched the boy approach us. He didn't bother to get up, just stayed sitting there, smoking and staring at the clouds. "the strategist."

Oh dear. I just got in a fight with a person who would have been very useful. A strategist. Someone who could help me find a way to stay alive during the game while doing everything I would need to do.

The boy glanced at me, giving me a short bow, and then turned to Shikamaru. Apparently he knew who I was as well. Either the local grapevine traveled fast or a few people have been prepared for my visit.

"We need you for another meeting," the boy informed him. "I have to get a few materials, so I will be a little late." Turning around, he walked away. He had long strides and his back was perfectly straight. A confident, proud man, he probably was also another important strategist or someone equally as good. His clothes were a little loose, white and dark brown—formal wear, I realized—and made out of good material as well.

Someone important or someone rich, then. His eyes were familiar and I wondered who he was.

"He's Hyuuga Neji," Shikamaru answered my unspoken question. "The leader of the guards."

Hyuuga? Wasn't Hinata's last name also Hyuuga? Were they related?

As though he realized I was about to ask him more questions, Shikamaru left, smoking still as he turned the corner.

I was left alone, again, but not completely. A grumble escaped my stomach and I realized once again that I was hungry. Starving in fact, I was surprised that I lasted as long as I did.

Re-entering the building, I had one of the servants inside—we had servants!—show me the way to the kitchen so I could grab something to eat. Even though it was well before dinner should be served, I was confident that I could find some quick snack.

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	10. Secrets over Soup

"No." Straight, direct—he was not mincing his words at all. Even to royalty.

Now that I thought about it, did anyone consider me as royalty? I just came here, out of the blue. It would probably take some time before anyone associated me with royalty. Especially when I was so ignorant of everything.

"Please—"

Putting the kitchen ladle down, he turned and glared at me. For a moment, I feared he would roll on me.

(I couldn't help that thought—he looked like a ball.)

"_Your majesty_, sit down and wait. You can't cook and I refuse to let anyone who can't cook use my ingredients or my wares."

"…" Sighing, I sat down, mumbling under my breath, "but _my_ money is used to buy them."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

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**Hokage's Choice**

_Chapter Ten—Secrets over Soup_

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A cook was bound to know a few secrets, I realized after a few minutes. Maybe even tell me some.

"Uh…Choji-san, was it?" He nodded and I continued. "Can you tell me about…" Who to ask about first? My enemies to exploit? No, best to know more about my (possible) allies. "Naruto-san?"

"Naruto?" Choiji laughed, a deep thing of rumbles. "He should be here soon enough—can't miss his hourly ramen."

"Oh…Lee?"

Choiji grew quiet, stirring the pot once more. "He has a sensei, Gai. They wer—are close…" Glancing at me, he asked, "Why do you want to know about him?"

"Well…I…" He caught me there. "I want to know more about my…"

"…So you already know about Ino and Kiba, then."

I smiled gratefully. "Yeah. Not a very warm welcome from them."

"…Not from Ino, I expect." He chuckled, but it wasn't as big as last time. "She…when she was young, she'd play with us—Shikamaru and I. All the time. We'd go in the woods, her mom would scold us so much, and she would like to be the princess in our games. She wasn't bad or malicious at all." He looked at me, almost pleading, and I nodded.

"But then…" He sighed once more, stirring the pot. "Anyways, Kiba also really badly wants that crown too. They tend to work together a lot now. Lee and Naruto don't fully agree with them but those two know just what to say."

"And Sasuke-san?" I refused to call him 'Sasuke-kun' like my character's personality wanted. That guy would not raise a finger to help me unless it helped him.

"He doesn't care either way as long as he gets what he wants." Choji said shortly and I knew he would not talk any further on that subject.

Though, it made me curious. What did he want? And why did Ino change?

What happened to Gai?

A loud stomping noise was heard and Choji quickly brought out some bowls.

"RAMEN!" I could barely make out that it was Naruto before the blond blur rushed to Choji. He grabbed a filled bowl, about to dig in, when Choji whacked his head.

"That's not respecting the food!" he growled, giving him a pair of chopsticks. "PATIENCE."

I approached the pair, intent on getting my own bowl. It must be good if this boy ate it everyday.

"…" Naruto looked up from his bowl to see me. Amazingly enough, during the time it took me to approach the two, he had already finished his first bowl.

"Hello," I remembered that he hadn't met me yet, "I'm Haruno Sakura."

"Haruno Sakura-chan? That sounds familiar…." He scrunched his face, trying to remember.

"She's the new Hokage," Choji reminded, laughing at him.

"Hey, I would have remembered that eventually." Naruto smiled at me. "I'm Uzamaki Naruto! I will be the future Hok—"

"Is that something to tell someone who is going to be the future Hokage?"

"…oh, right…"

-x-

**To:** SUchiha

**From:** Uchihacorps

**Subject:** Re: Lawsuits

Whether or not it is too early to consider a lawsuit is up to us. It seems to me, foolish little brother, that you have been spending too much time around that friend of yours. Perhaps it is time for you to return to our headquarters before you change too much.

Luckily for you, I read this before they have, or else you would not have a choice in the matters. Be more careful with what you say.

It reflects poorly on me if you behave like this.

Send the files anyways. We need to know more about her history to see all possibilities.

Try the more specific scans if nothing comes up. We need to cover everything and anything.

-x-

We sat there, Choji busily cooking in the background, and I glanced at him. Best to plunge ahead and ask him now.

Tactfully, of course. He wanted to be Hokage, so I could start there.

"Why do you want to be Hokage?"

"Hmm?" He looked up at me, noodles hanging off his chopsticks, and quickly swallowed. "I want to prove my worth, show everyone I am _someone_."

I raised an eyebrow. "Someone? And the best way to do that is to become Hokage?"

"…yeah…"

"Aren't you someone right now?"

He looked at me in surprise. "You…" Putting down his bowl, he hugged me, squeezing me tightly.

"Eh?"

"It's just," he pulled back, rubbing his head embarrassedly as he continued, "Not everyone thinks that way." I saw a broad smile—he must have been happy at those words.

I should remember them for later.

(And, with that smile, he didn't look half-bad. In fact…)

"I want everyone to think like that, so I'll become Hokage. That and…well…" He looked away, a little nervous. "You see, I…I have something….something _in_ me."

"…" Baffled, I stared at him.

"And, there are others, with things in them." Before he could continue, he was interrupted by a loud gong.

"Is it that late already?" Naruto jumped to his feet, emptying the bowl as he did so. "Teme is going to kill me!" Waving a hurried goodbye, he ran out.

Leaving me even more confused than before.

This had happened too often to be a coincidence. Whenever someone got close to telling me anything, they would get interrupted. I learned enough to know something was up but not what that was.

Obviously, I had to wait to find out.

Or, at the very least, try to get as many clues as I could in order to figure it out on my own. I was good at puzzles and this was just another one, with hundreds of pieces to find.

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**A/N:** Sorry if it's a bit slow right now. I'm introducing characters and histories, so it is bound to not be quick-paced. And for those still reading this, thanks for having the patience to do so—I know I'm not a very fast updater.

I think I updated this last month, so at the very least I'm doing that so far. I'll try to update twice next month—It's November, my birthday month!

Also, I hate the title.


	11. Learning to Fly

Wandering down a path, I nearly left the village when I noticed Hinata. I could just make her out, walking beside Tenten, and far behind them was a gated area. Massive trees loomed there, ancient things with plants growing all over them. Bird songs and the guttural animal calls filled the air as I approached them.

"Is that the garden?" It didn't seem like one, to me. Especially with the fence that surrounded the enclosure.

Hinata shook her head and as Tenten scoffed, "That place? I wouldn't take her to a place so dangerous."

I just realized how deep Tenten's voice sounded now. A jutsu, perhaps?

"Our g-garden is f-f-further to the r-right." Hinata pointed and I could see the faint outline of Sakura trees.

"Oh, I see." Another place to search, but that could wait till later. "By the way, are you related to Hyuuga Neji?"

It was like a switch had been flipped. She deflated slightly and Tenten glared at me. "Don't mention his name."

"Sorry, I didn't know." This didn't seem good.

Hinata gave a faint smile. "It's…okay. I-I'm fine. H-He's my c-cousin."

"He should never have been born."

"T-Tenten, you d-d-don't mean t-that." She looked at the other girl almost sadly.

"…Do you know Lee?"

Tenten sighed. "What did he do this time?"

"Nothing, why?"

"…really? He tends to take things too far."

Remembering his penchant for self-punishment, I gave a wry smile. "I noticed that."

"Even for things that were not his fault." This time she sounded like she was remembering something, an irritated but tired look on her face. "The fool."

Another bell gonged twice—maybe I should destroy that thing—and the pair started again. "Sorry, there's an important meeting right now."

Without another word, the two quickly trotted back to the village.

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**Hokage's Choice**

_Chapter 11—Learning to fly_

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Where to go next? Simple question, too many answers. I stood beside the gate, shivering slightly at the strange sounds that escaped every now and then. Even worse was the heavy silence that occurred in between the noises. Odd creatures lived there and I wasn't sure if I wanted to ever enter the place.

Though, given the nature of the game, I probably would. Hopefully with companions—there is no way I could survive there on my own.

The path that Hinata and Tenten came from went a little further—I could see it heading higher and higher up the mountain. Maybe it was even the same one with the faces.

Turning, I started to follow it. There would be a good view there, for sure. One that would let me at least get an idea of the layout of the village and the land.

As I headed higher, I noticed there were less vegetation and the path didn't split at all. The garden was probably not this way, so where did those two actually go?

-x-

**To**: Uchihacorps

**From:** SUchiha

**Message**: Back off

I should have known you would be there. However, I can handle myself and any issues that arise. I do not require your help as you are not involved. Nor have you been for quite some time.

As well, do not presume to tell me what to do with my job. I know what scans to run, I know what to do when nothing appears. I have a team of analysts to give me advice—they are here to view the situation. I do not need someone to interfere who only has a limited understanding of what is occurring.

I suppose I should mention that the idiot scared the girl far more than necessary. I gave him a simple message to say to inform her of the situation. He was the best choice—as you know, he is far more comforting and kind than I am. It should have kept her calm but alert. However, the idiot then realized that she wouldn't understand fully what was going on and deviated from the message. While his reasons are....justifiable and reasonable, her vitals are not as calm as they should be due to this. Now there are other factors to include in the scans.

She is making slight progress with the games—not as much as expected or needed, though. At this rate, she'll have to be pulled out before she finishes the game.

-x-

I wandered a little until I reached the summit of the mountain.

The view was...not breath-taking or awe-inspiring. Not any of those things I hear everyday. Instead, it gave me a sense of where I am, of who I was.

Of the place I had wandered in.

I could see the people walking, hear the children laughing. There were ninja running in and out and villagers visiting from far away.

For some reason, I felt like protecting this small haven, this isolated sanctuary. It might not have the best people or be completely perfect, but it wasn't all that bad either.

For about an hour, I sat there, just staring out at the scene.

Then I noticed that the ground was rising to meet me.

-x-

"This isn't good, sir. It seems like she's about to restart again."

"...how much longer, do you suspect?"

"...I am not sure yet, sir. Damage report has been confirmed. However, there is no complete sense on how long she has left."

"What? What do you mean? Come one, you can't—"

"Naruto, shut up. Now, you, take a small team and work on this. I need an accurate estimation."

"Yes, sir."

"Sir, an anomaly has occurred. Please watch screen one."

"...."

-x-

I flew. For a few brief, heart-stopping moments, I flew. Gravity was pulling me down, but I couldn't feel it. All I could see was the open sky, the approaching ground, and the looming mountain.

If I closed my eyes, if I ignored reason, I flew.

Then reality returned, fear grasping my heart with claws, and each breath became a challenge.

(I was going to die. I was going to die. I was going to die. I was going to die. I was goi—)

Suddenly, I felt an arm wrap around my waist, and felt something shudder as I suddenly stopped. I might have been the one shuddering—it hurt to stop so quickly—but it might have been the arm as well.

It must hurt to stop something my size. If we weren't ninjas, I know we would have broken something. Several somethings.

Well, if we were ninja, I probably wouldn't have been saved either.

Gasping, I turned to feel soft blonde hair.

"Na....Na..." I tried to catch my breath, tried to get my chest to expand once more. "Nar...uto?"

"Sakura-chan," he sighed in relief, already recovered. "Looks like I got you in time."

"....tha...nk...you." I closed my eyes for a moment. "Thank....you."

"No problem," he grinned as he started to walk up the mountain. Setting me down safely, he hovered over me. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, much better." I glanced around, trying to figure out what happened.

"What happened?"

"....I think I was pushed. Probably someone trying to make this look natural." I shivered, slightly. "Let's go down, ok?"

I didn't want to stay in this lonely spot anymore.

-x-

"Sir, did you catch that?"

"Yes. Did she actually....?"

"As far as I can tell, she did."

"Sasuke, that was—"

"Shut up, Naruto."

"...she's doing good, isn't she?"

"....better than I expected. She actually managed to use it. For a few seconds, but still...."

"Better than you, even."

"Shut up, Naruto."

...

...

...

...

...


End file.
